Hanging out with Athena. The Acropolis, Athens
Last year I went with my family for a few days to Athens, Greece. We had a great time exploring the city and its impressive history. We obviously couldn’t miss a visit to the Acropolis during our stay. We’d spent so much time admiring it from all angles around the city – including from our…
Read MoreHope all you NaNoers have gotten a running start
To all writers out there participating in National novel Writing month (NaNoWriMo), the annual writing marathon, here’s hoping you’ve gotten a great start to your month-long scribbling challenge. Just like a real marathon, it’s important to pace yourself and to just keep going, even if you don’t feel you’re doing as well as you should.…
Read MoreFun and games at the Wienerriesenrad and the Prater Park, Vienna
Vienna’s famous Riesenrad (Giant Ferris Wheel) is a landmark in this city. It is 64.75 meters (212 feet) tall and was built back in 1897, to celebrate the golden jubilee of Emperor Franz Josef. It was one of the first ferris wheels every built. It was the world’s tallest ferris wheel from 1920 until 1985. The…
Read MoreYou’ve finished writing your book. Now what?
The always helpful Writer’s Digest has a great post up: 7 Things to Do After Finishing Your Book. Authors – fairly enough – consider their first job to be writing their books. But today you have to be a master-of-all-trades when it comes to promoting your writing career. So you’ve finished your book and broken…
Read MoreReason #5382 to love Rome: Palazzo Massimo Museum of Ancient Rome
There are lots of amazing museums to see when you’re in Rome. One that shouldn’t be missed for those looking to discover Ancient Rome is the National Roman Museum – Palazzo Massimo alle Terme. The building itself is a late 19th century palazzo and was purchased by the Italian state in 1960 to house parts…
Read MoreBoys don’t read?
I’ve already written about my fantastic annual pilgrimage to the Women’s Fiction Festival in Matera last month. One of many interesting discussions for writers was the (terrifying?) assertion that boys don’t read. Media consultant Porter Andersen discussed this interesting topic. When boys and girls are young, they are read to by their parents, caretakers, teachers,…
Read MoreSurrounded by the Atlantic, in Vigo, Spain
Earlier this month, I was in Galicia, Spain for the first time. Although I’ve traveled quite a bit around beautiful Spain, I’d never journeyed to westernmost points before. I was in the port city of Vigo for work. Unfortunately, I didn’t have much time to explore this interesting city, but I did manage to do…
Read MoreNovember’s almost upon us. Will you be NaNo-ing?
We’ve arrived once again, fellow writers. November is just around the corner, and you know what that means… For a small group of writers (and those, like me, who cheer you on from the sidelines), it means the annual challenge known as National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) This insane inspiring novel-writing challenge asks writers to…
Read MoreAdmiring Prague from a paddleboat on the Vltava
This past summer, I was with my family in Prague, Czech Republic. On a beautiful, sunny day, my kids wanted to rent a paddleboat out on the Vltava River to float along and enjoy the city from a new perspective. Back when I lived in this city, two decades ago, it seemed a ridiculously touristy…
Read MoreWrap-up of the Matera Women’s Fiction Festival 2015
Wow, another amazing year in southern Italy at the annual Matera Women’s Fiction Festival. I have been going for the past few years, and I always enjoy this yearly pilgrimage to this beautiful Italian cave town, and the chance to learn about trends in publishing and writing, to attend writing workshops and one-on-one sessions with…
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